Machine for depositing circulars into containers



June 2, 1936. F. o. LINDGREN MACHINE FOR DEPOSITING CIRCULARS INTO CONTAINERS Filed July2, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 [ml/2722502 mA/hfrg/ND6EfN June 2, 1936. Q UNDGREN 2,042,719

MACHINE FOR DEPOSITING CIRCULARS INTO CONTAINERS Filed July 2, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 In l/e7z 2, 02 ZTeA/v/r O. Z/NDGEEN AT-rae/vsYs June 2, 1936. F. o. LINDGREN MACHINE FOR DEPOSITING CIRCULARS INTO CONTAINERS Filed July 2, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 [Ml/anger NK Oi/NDGEEN TI MMUM Fume 2, 1936. Q UNDGREN 2,042,719

MACHINE FOR DEPOSITING CIRCULARS INTO CONTAINERS Filed July 2, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 III [n z/zrzz or Patented June 2, 1936 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOB DEPOSITING OIRCULABS INTO CONTAINERS Frank 0. Lindgren, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application July 2, 1932, Serial No. 620,691 901m. (01. 271-44) This invention relates to improvements in machines for inserting circulars into containers, and is an improvement over the machine shown in my Patent No. 1,849,238 of March 15, 1932.

A general objectis to provide a machine for depositing circulars one at a time into an open container, during movement of the container, although the invention is capable of other uses wherein it is desired to feed coupons or blanks into or onto an article which moves with respect tothe feeding mechanism. 7

Features of the invention include reciprocable means for advancing the blanks or circulars to the feed means; the control of the reciprocable means by rotative means; the control of the rotative means by means of a clutch driven from a shaft, in turn driven from the rotatable feed means; the use of trigger-operated clutch control member; the use of a trigger-operated translatable clutch control member with means for operatingihe trigger as the result of motion of a container toward circular-receiving position;

and to all details of construction shown.

Objects, features and advantges of the invention will be set forth in the description of the drawings forming a part of this application, and in said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with the parts positioned as just before initiation of the circular-feeding operation by an advancing containerp Figure 2 is a plan section approximately on line 22 of Figure 1, with the parts positioned as in Figure 1, and with the slotted hopper bottom omitted;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line hopper and rolls, showing the advancing means in advanced position, with the circular between the feed rolls;

Figure 6 is a detail section illustrating the relation of the clutch members, and taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2; and

Figure '7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modification of the structure of the circular-advancing means particularly adapted for a blank 50 having a greater thickness.

,Referring to Figure 1, a belt conveyor for the container is indicated at I, a container is indicated at 2 and is positioned as immediately before it operates the clutch control mechanism,

55 later to be described. The same container is indicated in dot-and-dash lines, as when positioned to receive the circular.

A frame generally indicated at 3 suitably supports the delivering mechanism; and includes upper and lower plates 5-6. Plate 5 is supported on a frame member I, and the plate 6 is supported by uprights 8, so as to bridge the conveyor. The plate 6 is spaced sufiiciently above the conveyor I to allow the container to pass beneath it. On this plate is mounted a drive motor 10 I0.

Mounted also on plate Ii at the forward end are upright plates ll-IZ, see Figure 4, suitably bolted as shown. These uprights support the feed roll shafts and the clutch shaft later to be 5 described, and also support the hopper generally indicated at H. The hopper has front and rear walls which slant rearwardly and upwardly away from the feed rolls. The bottom wall [5 of the hopper is slotted as at. IE to permit the circular 20 advancing means to engage the bottom-most circular of the pile, which is slid along the upper surface of the plate I5 toward the meeting points of the rolls. This plate I5 is continuous with the rear wall of the hopper. 25

Upper and lower feed rolls are respectively indicated at H and i8, and are supported upon corresponding shafts l9 and 20. The shaft 2018 supported in suitable bearings in plates II and I2, and is constantly driven by a pulley 2 I in turn 30 driven by belt 22 from a pulley 23 of the motor ill. The shaft 20 of the upper roll is held on arms 23 pivoted as at 24 to the outer surface of the uprights l I-I2. Each arm has an extension engaged by spring 25, to maintain a yielding con- 35 tact of the upper roll with the lower feed roll.

A stop screw '21 provides means for varying the spacing of the rolls, conformably to the varying thicknesses of circular, folded or unfolded. Shafts I9-20 are geared together, the gear for 40 shaft. 20 being indicated at 34"v and gear for shaft 1 9 at 34.

The word circular is used to denote the articles to be fed, merely because the present embodiment of the invention relates to the use of the device for delivering circulars into the open tops of packages or containers. 'However, there is no intention to limit the invention to this =use, because the device can be used for feeding other objects, including sheets of paper, thick or thin, or cardboard sheets or blanks, folded or unfolded.

A clutch shaft is indicated at 30. see Figures 2 and 4, and is held as best shown-in Figure 4, in suitable bearings of the plates II and I2. Loose upon this shaft is a rotatable clutch memher 3! havinga spur gear 32 and a ratchet wheel 33. The shaft 38 is operated through gear 32 by a gear train including gear 34 of shaft I9 and a gear 35 rotatable on a stub shaft attached to the plate I2. Shaft 38 is clutch-controlled to be rotated for advancing a circular to the feed rolls, when a container is in the proper position to receive the circular. To this end (see Fig. 4) shaft 38 is provided with a crank arm 48, connected by link 4| with 'an arm 42 connected to cross shaft 43 supported in bearings 44 attached to plate 6. Referring to Figures 2 and 5, on the cross shaft 43 is rotatably mounted a spur gearsegment 46 meshing with the corresponding rack 41 of a reciproc'able circular advancing element 48 operating in guides formed by plates 49, see Figure 2. 'This element 48 is provided at its forward end with a resilient element 58 suitably attached as at 5|, see Figure 5. The element 58 has two prongs 52 adapted to engage the under surface of the bottom-most circular to feed it forwardly and introduce it between the rolls II--l8, which rolls may be considered to be one form of depositing means.

It is understood that there is no intention to limit the invention entirely to the gear and rack connection between the elements 48 and 46.

The advancing mechanism is driven through the gear train previously mentioned, and through the intermediary of the clutch, the gear carrying member of which has been previously described. The other part of the clutch is formed by disk 68, see Figures 2, 3 and 6, pinned to the shaft 38. This disk has mounted thereon a pawl 8|, see Figure 6, having a curved outer surface 82. The pawl is pivoted to the disk as at 63. The rocking movement of the pawl is limited by pin 64 passing through arcuate slot 85 of thedisk 68. The pawl is provided with a tooth 88 which is engageable with the ratchet wheel 33 under the proper conditions. Referring to Figure 3, spring 81 attached by one end to the disk and by the other end to pin 84 is adapted to move the pawl into engagement with the ratchet 33. The ratchet wheel, disk, and pawl, are considered herein to be clutch means.

a Means is provided for automatically controlling the clutch by motion of a container to throw it in for a sufiicient length of timeto advance and feed a blank to the container andthereafter to throw it out to stop the advancing and feeding action until a succeeding container again operates the clutch controlling means. It is, of course, understood that the elements are properly proportioned to obtain the proper synchronization. The parts are so arranged that the shaft 38 makes only one complete revolution, to obtain advancing and retracting motions of the element 48.

The clutch controlling means includes a shaft I8, see Figure 2, slidable in the upright plates II and I2 and parallel with the clutchshaft 38. A spring II moves the bar I8 toward the disk 68; to occupy a definite position with reference to the pawl 6|, this position being best shown in Figure 3, wherein the pawl is shown in dotted lines The opposite end of the bar I8 has a downturned portion I2, see Figure 1, which engages an arm I3 of part of a trigger-trip mechanism, said arm being pivoted as at I4 to a bracket attached to the plate II, see Figure 2. The arm I3 is controlled by a trigger I5 also rotatable on pivot I4, one end.of this lever-like trigger being normally engaged with the pin I8 of the lever 13. Spring I1 acts to hold one arm of the lever I5 in engagement with the pin $16; It is noted that by this arrangement, the element I5 can move independently of lever I3 about the Pivot I4, and when the arm I8 of the lever I5 is moved in direction of the arrow, the lever I3 0 and rod 18 are moved in the directions of respective arrows, to release pawl GI and allow it to assume the position shown in Figure 6, that is to let or throw the clutch in.

For operating the trigger as a result of motion 10 of a container, an arm 88 is provided This arm is pivoted to platei by bolt 8I. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, pivoted to the arm 88'is a link 82 in turn pivoted to arm 83 of vertical shaft 84. This shaft is rotatably stepped inplates 5 and 8, 15 see Figure 1. Attached to the pivot 85 which connects the link 82 with arm 83 is a spring 81 .adapted to rotate the-shaft 84, in this instance in clockwise direction to normally hold the arm 88 in the position shown in, Figure 2. Suitably i2.) adjustably attached to the shaft 8| is an arm 98 (see dotted line position in Figure 2) which extends into the path of movement of the container 2, see also Figure 1. The arm may have a flattened surface formed by a plate 9|, ar- 25 ranged at its outer'extremity, which plate-8| is engaged by thecontainer. When the container strikes the arm 98 (or plate), the shaft is moved in counter-clockwise direction, the arm 88 is correspondingly moved. and enga sthe trigger 30 I8, pulling the shaft I8 to rele e the clutch, which thereafter automatically. oes in, or in other words, the pawl is permitted to engage the ratchet. The arm 88 moves beyond 'the arm" during this movement, to release the arm I5 so ea that the spring II immediatelyreturns the rod I8 to the position shown in Figure 2. The end of the rod I8 is, therefore, again and immediately interposed into the path of the pawl 8|. Referring to Figures 3 and 6 and assuming a counterclockwise motion of the disk '88 in Figure 6, it will be seen that when the rod I8 re-assumes the position shown in Figure 3 (after tripping) and as the disk rotates, and after the major part bf the complete rotation has occurred, the surface 62 of the pawl en es the rod I8, and the pawl is thus moved in direction of the arrow to the released position, shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. After release, the curved portion 9| engages the terminal of rod 18, as a stop, to limit further movement of the disk 88, due to its momentum after release of the pawl or clutch. This stop 9i constitutes, with the rod I8, means for preventing over-run of the clutch member which operates the circular-advancing means. On the other hand, in order to be sure that the disk will rotate far enough to causethe parts to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, the disk 68 is provided with a notch having an inclined portion 83, this inclined portion is engaged by a corresponding inclined portion 94 of an arm 95 which arm is pressed toward the disk by spring 38, and acts as a. brake. Should it happen that the disk does not rotate quite far enough to bring the curved portion 9| against the rod I8, the force applied by the spring to the arm 95 causes surface 94 to ride on surface 93 and move the disk sufficiently in clockwise direction to make the parts 9| and I8 assume the position shown. Means is thusprovided to prevent clutch under-run. Movement of the'pawl in the direction of the dotted arrow ofFigure 3 is prevented by the engagement of the pin 84' with the upper end of the slot 85.

Referring to Figure 3: The arm 42 is provided justment for arm 42.

with a radial slot I00, and the pivot pin IOI connecting the link III to the arm 42 is adjustable in the slot to provide for slight throw-ad- In order that the seamental spur gear may be adjusted relative to the shaft43, to correspondingly adjust the advancing element 48, it is loosely mounted on the shaft, but is adjustably attached to element I02 fixed to shaft 43, see Figures 3 and 5. The adjusting means comprises a suitable setting bolt I03, passing through an arcuate slot I04 of the element I02. I

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, another feature of this invention relates to means for preventing more than one folded or other circular or blank from being fed from the hopper to the feed rolls. To this end, the feed opening H in the forward wall of the hopper is made of the desired vertical height. On the outer wall and between the wall and the feed rolls II-I8, there is adjustably arranged a rubber element indicated at III having a lower edge I I2 which forms with the plate I a throat II3 which will only allow one folded I circular to pass. l

The rubber element I II or its equivalent forms with the support I5 a throat, the size of which is automatically variable conformably to the thickness of the fed circular, and only permits ejectment of a single circular, whatever the thickness. As shown, this member is arranged midway of the circular in a direction transverse to line of feed. However, the throat formed by the rubber member and the plate I5 may extend the full width of the blank.

In this embodiment of the invention, the rubber element is only about five-eighths of an inch for the feed rolls.

wide. Ordinarily these cartons are about two and one-half inches wide, in direction transverse to the direction of feed. The rubber element III is clamped in position by means of a plate II5 engaging the rubber within a channel formed by the U-shaped element II6 attached to the forward wall III of the hopper. A set screw II9 ciampingly secures the plate II5 against the rubber element.

In Figure 5, the circulars are fed by spring fingers which engage the under surface 'of the bottom-most circular. In Figure '7, a modification has been shown in which the reciprocable element 48% is provided with a shoulder SI Operation Assuming the parts positioned as shown in Figures 1 and 2: The carton 2 traveling in the direction of the arrow engages the arm- 90, see Figure 2, and rotates shaft 04 in counter-clockwise direction moving the arm 80 in clockwise direction and causing it to engage the portion I8 of'trigger 75 to move the clutch control bar I0 away from the disk 60, and release the pawl for cutching engagement. Inasmuch as shaft I9 is constantly rotating and inasmuch as the shaft 30 which drives the disk 60 is gear-operated from the shaft I9, disk 60 immediately rotates one revolution during which, because of the operating connections between the shaft 30- and the shaft 43, the slide 48 is advanced, and its fingers engage and move a circular forwardly to the position shown in Figure 5 from which position, the circular is fed by the feed rolls and deposited into the tubular member I20, whence it is de- 5 livered to the carton 2 which has now reached the forward position. This feeding action is rapid and the disk makes one complete revolution and stops in its previous position, that is in the position best shown in Figure 3. After re- 10 leasing the pawl, the rod I0 immediately assumes its original position, and is engaged by the surface 62 of the pawl and, as the rotation of the disk 80 continues, the pawl is rocked until finally it is disengaged from ratchet wheel 33 (or the clutch is opened) to assume the final position in which the stop 9|- engages the rod as shown in Figure 3. During this motion, the arm 85 is riding on the periphery of. the disk 60 and if the disk does not have suflicient momentum 0 after the pawl is released (or the clutch withdrawn) the surface 94 sliding along the surface 03 acts under the impulse of spring 96 to positively move the disk 60 in clockwise direction to cause the stop 9| to engage the rod III, as shown. The braking effect of the arm 95 reduces jarring and prevents under-run.

The driving mechanism is designed to act speedily so that the clutch element 60 gains considerable momentum during the cycle of operation. When the clutch goes in, the disk 60 is given a quick rotation, and makes only one complete rotation, at or near the end of which the clutch is opened.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the class described, a hopper for supporting the circulars in flatwise relation, said hopper comprising a bottom wall having an elongated opening therein extending lengthwise of the circulars, an opening in a wall of the hopper through which the circulars are fed, one at a time therefrom, and a resilient element normally bridging said discharge opening and adapted to yield in the direction of travel of the circular, when engaged thereby. to permit the circular to pass between it and the bottom wall of the hopper.

2. In a machine of the class described, a hopper for supporting the circulars, said hopper comprising a bottom wall having an elongated 5 opening therein, a member mounted for reciprocal movement beneath said bottom wall and having yieidable fingers movable in said opening and adapted to engage the lowermost circular, said hopper having a discharge opening in a wall thereof relatively wider than the thickness of the circulars, a resilient element adjustably secured to a wall of the hopper andxoverhangirrg said discharge opening and having its lowermost end substantially engaging the bottom wall of the hopper, said resilient element being adapted to yield in the direction bf travel of the circular, when engaged thereby, whereby but one circular can be fed from the hopper at a time.

3. In a machine of the class described, a hopas per for supporting the circulars, said hopper having a bottom wall provided with a discharge opening, a resilient element normally bridging said discharge opening and adapted to yield in the direction of travel of the circulars and upwardly when engaged thereby to permit the circulars to pass between said element and the bottom wall of said hopper, and means for moving the circulars one at a time into contact with said element.

FRANK O. LINDGREN. 

